Why does my filling hurt when I bite?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
A new filling that hurts when you bite is usually sitting slightly high, and adjusting it takes minutes. When a filling stands proud of your bite, that tooth absorbs every closing force first, bruising the ligament around its root until biting hurts sharply. The dentist marks your bite and polishes the high point down; no anaesthetic, no drilling. Mild sensitivity to cold and pressure is normal after a filling and should fade within a few weeks; NHS guidance says to contact the clinic if it has not settled within 4 weeks. Pain that throbs on its own, lingers after cold, or wakes you at night points to the nerve, and a cracked or loose old filling can hurt on biting too.
What to do
- Book the adjustment: a high filling is a quick polish, not a new filling.
- Give mild sensitivity up to 4 weeks; longer than that needs a look.
- Watch the red flags: spontaneous throb, night pain, lingering cold pain, swelling.
- Do not just avoid that side: the NHS advises seeing a dentist for pain when you bite.
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